Off working at ISE next week and, to make up for the lack of recent activity, thought I'd stick this up - a short story written for a New Scientist competition to write something about life in the future in 350 words or under. It didn't win, but I'm still quite fond of it.
Border Point
The border point was along a quiet, non-electrified B-road in the middle of the countryside. It was secluded and there were guns. Richard held Jeanette’s hand.
“So, you want entry into Rutland?” asked the Guard.
Richard swallowed, but stuck to the plan. “Citizenship actually....Refugee status even,” he added, seeing the look on the Guard’s face.
Don’t babble, he thought to himself. Be strong. You’re the one with the power here.
He babbled.
“Look, we’ve been on the move for a year now, ever since Surrey enacted the Native Wealth Laws and threw us out because Jeanette was born in Kent. We work where we can – we work hard, we’re science teachers – but no-one wants us. Lincolnshire has given us a five-day transit visa but it runs out today and if we’re caught we’ll be Interned.
“And,” he concluded in a whisper,” I can’t let that happen.”
They stepped off the road to let an oil-burner go past. Richard coughed from the stench of its exhaust. There had even been a driver behind the wheel. What sort of Godforsaken backwater was this?
“Look, mate,” said the Guard. “There’s not a lot I can do. Unless, of course, you have special reasons for me to look into your case...”
He left the sentence hanging. Richard sighed.
“Bananas?” said the Guard. “Tea? Coffee? We’re landlocked here and trade negotiations aren’t going well.”
“I’m sorry,” said Richard. “We’ve given away everything just to get here.”
The Guard leaned in and whispered earnestly. “Can you fight? It’s starting to look mean over Leicestershire way.”
Richard shook his head.
“Well, then, be off with you,” the Guard shouted. “We have no use for your type here.”
“But where can we go? We’ve tried all the borders!”
“Have you tried the sea?” the Guard sneered, and stalked off.
Richard went to leave and reached for Jeanette’s hand, but she took a step forwards.
“I can show you how to make mustard gas,” she said.
The Guard turned.
Sunday 31 January 2010
A brief interlude...
Written for a New Scientist competition to write a short story about the future in 350 words or under.
Border Point
The border point was along a quiet, non-electrified B-road in the middle of the countryside. It was secluded and there were guns. Richard held Jeanette’s hand.
“So, you want entry into Rutland?” asked the Guard.
Richard swallowed, but stuck to the plan. “Citizenship actually....Refugee status even,” he added, seeing the look on the Guard’s face.
Don’t babble, he thought to himself. Be strong. You’re the one with the power here.
He babbled.
“Look, we’ve been on the move for a year now, ever since Surrey enacted the Native Wealth Laws and threw us out because Jeanette was born in Kent. We work where we can – we work hard, we’re science teachers – but no-one wants us. Lincolnshire has given us a five-day transit visa but it runs out today and if we’re caught we’ll be Interned.
“And,” he concluded in a whisper,” I can’t let that happen.”
They stepped off the road to let an oil-burner go past. Richard coughed from the stench of its exhaust. There had even been a driver behind the wheel. What sort of Godforsaken backwater was this?
“Look, mate,” said the Guard. “There’s not a lot I can do. Unless, of course, you have special reasons for me to look into your case...”
He left the sentence hanging. Richard sighed.
“Bananas?” said the Guard. “Tea? Coffee? We’re landlocked here and trade negotiations aren’t going well.”
“I’m sorry,” said Richard. “We’ve given away everything just to get here.”
The Guard leaned in and whispered earnestly. “Can you fight? It’s starting to look mean over Leicestershire way.”
Richard shook his head.
“Well, then, be off with you,” the Guard shouted. “We have no use for your type here.”
“But where can we go? We’ve tried all the borders!”
“Have you tried the sea?” the Guard sneered, and stalked off.
Richard went to leave and reached for Jeanette’s hand, but she took a step forwards.
“I can show you how to make mustard gas,” she said.
The Guard turned.
Border Point
The border point was along a quiet, non-electrified B-road in the middle of the countryside. It was secluded and there were guns. Richard held Jeanette’s hand.
“So, you want entry into Rutland?” asked the Guard.
Richard swallowed, but stuck to the plan. “Citizenship actually....Refugee status even,” he added, seeing the look on the Guard’s face.
Don’t babble, he thought to himself. Be strong. You’re the one with the power here.
He babbled.
“Look, we’ve been on the move for a year now, ever since Surrey enacted the Native Wealth Laws and threw us out because Jeanette was born in Kent. We work where we can – we work hard, we’re science teachers – but no-one wants us. Lincolnshire has given us a five-day transit visa but it runs out today and if we’re caught we’ll be Interned.
“And,” he concluded in a whisper,” I can’t let that happen.”
They stepped off the road to let an oil-burner go past. Richard coughed from the stench of its exhaust. There had even been a driver behind the wheel. What sort of Godforsaken backwater was this?
“Look, mate,” said the Guard. “There’s not a lot I can do. Unless, of course, you have special reasons for me to look into your case...”
He left the sentence hanging. Richard sighed.
“Bananas?” said the Guard. “Tea? Coffee? We’re landlocked here and trade negotiations aren’t going well.”
“I’m sorry,” said Richard. “We’ve given away everything just to get here.”
The Guard leaned in and whispered earnestly. “Can you fight? It’s starting to look mean over Leicestershire way.”
Richard shook his head.
“Well, then, be off with you,” the Guard shouted. “We have no use for your type here.”
“But where can we go? We’ve tried all the borders!”
“Have you tried the sea?” the Guard sneered, and stalked off.
Richard went to leave and reached for Jeanette’s hand, but she took a step forwards.
“I can show you how to make mustard gas,” she said.
The Guard turned.
Alcohol map
One from Strange Maps-
"It matters where we are, for it helps determine who we are. Or, as the quote often attributed to Napoleon states: Geography is destiny. That destiny extends to drink, as demonstrated by this map. Where we are determines to a statistically significant degree what kind of alcohol we prefer. Or is it the other way around: the kind of alcohol preferred is determined by the place where it is produced?
This map shows Europe dominated by three so-called ‘alcohol belts’, the northernmost one for distilled spirits, a middle one for beer and the southernmost one for wine. Each one’s existence and extension are a mix of culture and agriculture."
442 – Distilled Geography: Europe’s Alcohol Belts - Strange Maps
Tuesday 19 January 2010
Today's tasks
1. Update blog (man, that was easy)
2. Sort out TVBe email
3. Sort out BVE email. Actually, perhaps even get ahead and sort out two BVE emails
4. Deal with facetious PR people
5. Check over Broadcast 5.1 feature
6. Go see Wolfmother
7. Really get to grips with Liferay CMS this time round
8. Walk dog/buy food/cook/remember to breathe etc.
9. Amend list of recommended PRs (see 4)
2. Sort out TVBe email
3. Sort out BVE email. Actually, perhaps even get ahead and sort out two BVE emails
4. Deal with facetious PR people
5. Check over Broadcast 5.1 feature
6. Go see Wolfmother
7. Really get to grips with Liferay CMS this time round
8. Walk dog/buy food/cook/remember to breathe etc.
9. Amend list of recommended PRs (see 4)
Friday 15 January 2010
Time Traveler Essentials
This is quite simply brilliant: a cheat sheet for mad scientists to hang in their time machines so that they can fundamentally rebuild civilisation (or at least make serious amounts of money) if they end up stranded back in the past. Have to admit to thinking about this in the past, probably as a result of a boyhood collision with some L Sprague de Camp book or other, so there's definitely a market for it!
Would presumably also work in advent of nuclear war, asteroid impact, or any other chance to rebuild civilisation. Nifty
TopatoCo: Time Traveler Essentials Print
Thursday 14 January 2010
12 Trends to Watch in 2010
The Electronic Frontier Foundation's list of a dozen things that could affect electronic civil liberties in 2010...
12 Trends to Watch in 2010 | Electronic Frontier Foundation
12 Trends to Watch in 2010 | Electronic Frontier Foundation
Sunday 3 January 2010
Meanwhile...
It has come to my attention that, after a two week layoff, tomorrow is Monday the 4th of January and it's time to start being economically productive again.
So, today = copious cups of tea and looking out the window at the birds, listening to the cricket from Cape Town and wondering if it's going to snow again later.
Tomorrow = steadily increasing amounts of judicious panic while listening to the cricket from Cape Town. It's going to be a busy January...
So, today = copious cups of tea and looking out the window at the birds, listening to the cricket from Cape Town and wondering if it's going to snow again later.
Tomorrow = steadily increasing amounts of judicious panic while listening to the cricket from Cape Town. It's going to be a busy January...
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